Infant pacifier with decorative attachment device

ABSTRACT

An infant pacifier assembly including an infant pacifier and an attachment device that is attached to the pacifier. The attachment device has a clip that enables it to be readily affixed to the clothing of an infant so as to secure the pacifier and retain in a convenient location and prevent the pacifier from dropping to the floor. The attachment device has an outer surface for attaching an object thereto, such as a decorative button, preferable by a hook and loop securing system. The decorative button had a decorative design and there may be a plurality of buttons having different decorative designs that the caregiver can select and affix to the attachment device as desired.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an infant pacifier with an attachment device and, more particularly, to an attachment device that affixes an infant pacifier to the clothing of the infant and which has an interchangeable decorative object.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are, of course, a wide variety of pacifiers for infants and some have fastening devices that are used to fasten the pacifier to the infant's clothing so as to ensure that the pacifier is readily available and not susceptible of being dropped on the floor. Such devices include safety pins and the like that fasten the pacifier to the infant's clothing and may have a decorative design.

One of deficiencies with current fastening devices, however, is that any decorative design that may be provided with the fastening device is fixed and cannot be changed.

It would therefore be advantageous to have a fastening device to fasten a pacifier or other infant use device to the clothing of the infant and which is capable of having a device affixed thereto, where that device can have a pleasant appearance that can be changed as desired by the caregiver, that is, the outer appearance can be selected to suit a particular occasion, such as a birthday or the mood of the child or caregiver on any particular day.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention relates to a pacifier assembly, that is, a pacifier and an attachment device that is adapted to be attached to the clothing of an infant. The pacifier is affixed to the attachment device by means such as a ribbon or other flexible device, so that the pacifier itself is always at hand proximate to the infant for the caregiver to locate the pacifier and the caregiver is not concerned with the pacifier begin dropped onto the floor and becoming contaminated.

As described herein, the invention will refer specifically to the use of an infant pacifier as the infant use device, however, it will be seen that the present invention is applicable to other infant use devices where it is advantageous to affix the infant use device to the clothing of an infant for convenience.

With the present invention, the attachment device has an exterior surface with a object that can be replaceably secured to the exterior surface of the attachment device so that the user can display an object that can be replaced by other objects as desired by the user. In an exemplary embodiment, the object has a decorative design, such as a button having a smiley face, however, other objects may be utilized, such as small toys, plush animals and the like.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of an infant pacifier assembly including an infant pacifier and an attachment device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is perspective view of the infant pacifier assembly of FIG. 1 and including a decorative button of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the infant pacifier assembly of FIG. 1 with the decorative button affixed to the attachment device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a side view of an infant pacifier assembly 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention. As can be seen the infant pacifier assembly 10 includes an infant pacifier 12 and an attachment device 14 that is used to affix the pacifier 12 to the clothing of an infant. The infant pacifier 12 is affixed to the attachment device 14 by mean of a tether such as ribbon 16 having one free end 18 that passes through an opening 20 in the infant pacifier 12 and is folded over on itself and attached to the ribbon 16.

Accordingly, the pacifier 12 can be removed from engagement with ribbon 16 for cleaning or replacement thereof by unsecuring the free end 18 of the ribbon 16 from its overlapped affixation to the ribbon 16. The affixation of the free end 18 of the ribbon 16 can be achieved by some securement system such as a hook and loop system marketed under the trademark Velcro between the free end 18 and the ribbon 16.

The attachment device 14 generally comprises a planar plastic base 22 having an interior surface 24 and an exterior surface 26, that is, the exterior surface 26 faces outwardly with respect to the infant when the attachment device 14 is affixed to the clothing of the infant. As can be seen, the other end 28 of the ribbon 16 can be secured to the attachment device 14 by means of a plastic loop 30 that is secured to a small peg 32 formed on the attachment device 14.

As such, the pacifier 12 is firmly joined to the attachment device 14 such that when the attachment device 14 is affixed to the clothing of an infant, the pacifier 12 can reach the infant's mouth, however if the pacifier 12 is not in the infant's mouth, it is secured to the clothing and will not drop to the floor and become contaminated. Also, of course, the pacifier 12 is always readily available to the caregiver to locate it and reintroduce it into the mouth of the infant.

As further can be seen, there is a clip 34 that is provided on the interior surface 24 of the attachment device 14 and which can be a conventional clip that has jaws 36 that can be opened and closed to detach and attach the attachment device 14 to the clothing of the infant. An actuating arm 38 is used to open and close the jaws 36 and, again, which may be conventional, such that an upward movement of the actuating arm 38 opens the jaws 36 while a downward movement closes the jaws 36 to attach the attachment device 14 to the infant's clothing.

There is present on the exterior surface 26 of the attachment device 14, one component 40 of a fastening system and the purpose of the component 40 will be later explained.

Turning then to FIG. 2, there is shown a perspective view of the infant pacifier assembly 10 of the present invention. In FIG. 2, there can be seen the exterior surface 26 of the attachment device 14 with the component 40 of a fastening system affixed thereto. As also can be seen, there is a button 42 having a interior surface 44 that is intended to mate with the exterior surface 26 of the fastening device 14 and the interior surface 44 of the button 42 also has a component 46 of a fastening system provided thereon.

In an exemplary embodiment, the components 40 and 46 are both components of a hook and loop fastening system commercially available under the trademark Velcro and, in an exemplary embodiment, the hook component is the component 46 on the interior surface 44 of the button 42 and the loop component is the component 40 on the exterior surface 26 of the planar plastic base 22. Other fastening systems could be used to affix the button 42 to the planar plastic base 22, such as magnets, snaps and the like, it only being of importance that the button 42 be easily affixed to the planar plastic base 22 and just as easily detached therefrom for a purpose that will be next explained.

Turning finally to FIG. 3, taken along with Figs. I and 2, there is shown a perspective view of the infant pacifier assembly 10 with the button 42 affixed to the exterior surface 26 of the planar plastic base 22 such that a decorative surface 48 faces outwardly to be seen by persons viewing the infant. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the decorative surface 48 is a smiley face, however, many other decorative surfaces can be designed and used on the button 42, such as one indicative of a special occasion, a particular mood of the infant or the like.

In using the present invention, there are normally a plurality of such buttons 42, each having a different decorative surface such that the caregiver can select a particular design and affix it to the attachment device 14 in accordance with that selection. As such, the caregiver can continually replace a particular decorative surface with another decorative surface by simply removing the button 42 from the planar plastic base 22 and replacing that removed button 42 with a button 42 having a different decorative surface. The ease of exchange is enhanced by the presence of the hook and loop securement system. Of course, the buttons may be substituted with other decorative objects which might appeal to an infant or their parents such as small toys, plush animals and the like.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which can be made to the infant pacifier assembly of the present invention which will result in an improved infant pacifier assembly, yet all of which will fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined in the following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the following claims and their equivalents. 

1. An infant use device assembly comprising an infant use device having an attachment device affixed thereto, the attachment device comprising a clip that is adapted to be fastened to the clothing of an infant, the attachment device having an exterior surface, an object removably secured to the exterior surface.
 2. The infant use device assembly of claim 1 wherein the decorative object is a decorative button.
 3. The infant use device assembly of claim 1 wherein the infant use device is an infant pacifier.
 4. The infant use device assembly of claim 1 wherein the object is securable to the exterior surface of the attachment device by means of a hook and loop securing system.
 5. The infant use device assembly of claim 4 wherein the attachment device comprises a planar plastic base having an interior surface having the clip and the exterior surface has the loop component of the hook and loop securing system.
 6. The infant use device assembly of claim 1 wherein the object is securable to the exterior surface of the attachment device by means of magnetic attraction.
 7. The infant use device assembly of claim 1 wherein the object is securable to the exterior surface of the attachment device by means of snaps.
 8. The infant use device assembly of claim 1 wherein the infant use device system includes a plural of decorative objects having different designs thereon.
 9. The infant use device assembly of claim 8 wherein the decorative objects are decorative buttons.
 10. The infant use device assembly of claim 1 wherein the attachment device is affixed to the infant pacifier by means of a detachable ribbon.
 11. The infant use device assembly of claim 1 wherein one side of the decorative object has a decorative design and the other side has a hook system of a hook and loop securing system.
 12. A method of changing an object removably secured to a pacifier attachment device comprising the steps: providing a pacifier secured to a pacifier attachment device, the pacifier attachment having a clip for affixing the attachment device to the clothing of an infant and having an exterior surface, providing a plurality of objects, securing one of a plurality of objects to the exterior surface of the attachment device.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of providing a plurality of objects comprises providing a plurality of decorative buttons.
 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of providing a plurality of objects comprises providing a plurality of objects having a surface with one component of a hook and loop securing system.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of providing a pacifier secured to a pacifier attachment device comprises providing a pacifier attachment device having one surface thereof comprising a component of a hook and loop securing system.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of securing comprises making physical contact between the respective hook and loop components.
 17. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of providing a pacifier secured to a pacifier attachment device comprises providing a pacifier attachment device having a magnetic component proximate an outer surface.
 18. An attachment device adapted to be affixed to an object usable by-an infant comprising for an infant pacifier wherein the attachment device is adapted to be attached to the infant pacifier comprising a clip that is adapted to be fastened to the clothing of an infant, the attachment device having an exterior surface and an object removably secured to the exterior surface
 19. The attachment device of claim 18 wherein the object is removably affixed to the attachment device by means of a hook and loop attachment system.
 20. The attachment device of claim 18 wherein the object is removably affixed to the attachment device by magnetic attraction. 